SMS to Supply Closed-Die Lines to Chinese Truck Producer

China National Heavy Duty Truck Jinan Power Co. Ltd. ordered two new forging presses from SMS Meer. SMS Meer’s Eumuco Hasenclever Closed-Die Forging division says the size of the order ensures it will become a new “reference project” for its work in China.

CNHTC is the former Jinan Automobile Works (JAW), one of China’s largest manufacturers of service vehicles; it produced more than 100,000 vehicles in 2007 across several brands. The two, fully automatic closed-die press will forge truck crankshafts, front axles, and stub assemblies.

The two new lines will be fully automatic closed-die presses. One will be a 12,500-metric ton wedge press, and the other will be an 8,000-metric ton eccentric press. The order also include robots for transporting material to the presses. Finished product capacity will range from 400,000 to 450,000 pieces per year, according to the line.

The KP 12,500 wedge press has been designed to forge longitudinally oriented pieces, e.g., crankshafts and front axles. According to SMS, this line is designed to form such parts thanks to its high transverse rigidity and resistance to tilting, and to the extensive table load resulting from these characteristics.

The MP 8,000 eccentric press will forge truck stub axles weighing up to 50 kg. The pressure rod width and the ram width of the eccentric press are in a nearly 1:1 ratio, according to SMS. This detail provides a high working accuracy when forging in several forming stages.